Signs of the Underground Railroad
The "Underground Railroad" was a term used to describe secret routes used by American slaves to escape to northern states, or Canada, during the first half of the 19th century. Fleeing slaves might be led by a knowledgeable guide or "conductor," like Harriet Tubman, or follow signs left by other slaves or abolitionists -- secret marks that pointed the way to a safe house or hiding place.
Other People Are Reading
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Songs
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Slaves who couldn't speak openly about escape found ways to do it in song. Spirituals with lyrics such as "cross Jordan," "run to Jesus" or "I don't expect to stay much longer here" could easily have been taken as references to death. However, such songs were sometimes used to encourage or guide escaping slaves, such as Harriet Tubman's use of the song "Wade in the Water" -- a tip to move into a creek or stream to escape tracking dogs. Tubman also communicated with slaves in hiding by singing certain songs -- one might mean "stay low, slave catchers are near," and another, "it's all right to come out now."
Quilt Patterns
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Quilt patterns could have meanings as well. A bowtie quilt might be a signal to escaping slaves to dress up in order to blend into their new surroundings, or to assume a disguise. Patterns such as the "bear paw" directed slaves to follow mountain trails through the woods to throw off pursuit, or to follow bear trails that would lead them to food and water. The "flying geese" pattern might point to a direction to follow, and a star pattern might represent the North Star that pointed the way to freedom.
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Lights
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Escaping slaves might identify a safe house on the way if a light was shining high in an upper window at night, since most people went to bed early and burning a light all night was expensive. A lantern burning on a hitching post at night was another possible sign that the house was a "station" on the Underground Railroad.
Language
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The Underground Railroad got its name from the code people used when talking about a rescue. Two men could discuss an operation quite openly, as long as they couched their words in terms of picking up a "package" instead of rescuing a slave; of going to a "station" instead of a safe house; or of meeting a "conductor" instead of a famous guide, like the legendary Harriet Tubman, who was herself an escaped slave and returned to the South time and again to lead other slaves to freedom.
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References
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